Rock Island daily Argus., 1887-05-26
INDIGNANT "S0UTHRONS,'
WHO COULDN'T ABIDE MARCHING Be
HIND A ''NlGGER" COMPANY,

Go of on Their Own Hook at the Parade
Procession by Themselves Remarks OF
the Captain in Explanation of His Ac-
tion-CapitaI Miscellany.
WASHINGTON Cry, May % The chief
interest Wednesday connected with the Ma
tiOnal drill centered in the parade OF all the
troops and their review by the president and
on the parade the color line was drawn by
two southern companies After the amhu-
lance of the Red Gross society, which brought
up the rear of the parade, had passed the re-
viewing stand the crowd thought that the
procession was over, as no other organiza-
tions were in sight, and closed in upon the
ambulance after the fashion of crowds at
street parades A few minutes later the
Nicksburg Southrons and the Memphis Mer-
chant Zouaves hove in sight and passed the
stand like a separate contingent. They had
deliberately fallen out of line They were
reviewed by the president, and after march
ing TO the corner of Fourteenth street and
the avenue turned down Fourteenth and
marched around the reservation opposite the
old pension office, and back 70 Wizards ho-
tel, and then te camp Capt Searles, of the
Southrons, when asked why his company had
dropped out of tine parade said;
1t is ali on account of the company of nigcers
which marched in front of us When the qlIes
tion was raised rs TO allowing colored companies
in the drill wrote to Secretary Del eon and asked
INN if we were expected to parade or do guard
duty, or Associate in any way with those we
considered 10 he below us iii the social scale.
n
sociaIed in any way with che colored troops and
it this assurance that We came to
the drill Before we left home the peo-
Pile reminded us that we we're southern
gentlemen and represented Nicksbnrg be-
fore the United States and Of course. we must not
let ourselves he placed ~ an equality with
he negroes Yesterday C1tored company drilled
before us We did hot mind that hHt when it comes
10 placing this organization nt coiored people
right before us, then object We spoke To
Mai Sheffield commanding our division, about it,
and he went 10 tien Aug1Ir, hut rs nothing was
done about it decided 70 drop "ut. and the
Memphis zouavps followed us, We could not let
the president Of the United States see us placed
on an equality with negroes.
Capt. DHtfrey, of the Memphis Znuaves.
corroborated Capt SearleS The objection
able coored troops Immediately ahead of the
SouthrnuS when the line first advanced were
the two colored companies Of the Virginia
state troops,
With the exception of the above incident
the parade was a grand success. The arrange
ments for the parade were setsonahly com
pleted, and were carried ont almost to the
allotted second and without apparent hitch or
break. The head of the column started from
the camp up Seventeenth street promptly at
noon and reached the stand erected for the
president and invited guests ten minutes later.
The reviewing stand had seats for nearly 500
PERSONS and WAS well filled without crowd
ing With the president were Mrs Cleveland,
Mrs Welsh and Mrs. Marsey. and Col and
Mrs Lamont. Gen Sheridan AMI several
members OF his staff, in full uniform, were
their escorts, Among the CHESTS Of the drill
were Governor Lee, Of NiFginIa, and staff
Governor McGilL of Minnesota,
and staff; the staff of Gov
ernor Gray, of Indiana the Governor
himself having been detained at the last mo-
mentl; Secretary Endir0tt, Senators Sherman
and German, the Mexican and Japanese min
iSrers and ladies Of their families, and a liberal
spriuklng Of other legation and army people
The stand was covered with hunting and stood
| beneath the shade OF the lofty trees which
| front the White House grounds
| The city was full OF people from all parts
of the country, aud the line of the march was
crowded with a dense throng For fully forty
minutes the citizen >odiery traInPed past tbs
reviewing stand, where the president stood
| howing i'll response tothe cheers which gre,-teC
him and saluting whenever "Oh Glory" wa,
borne by. The different hoii,> uf troops were